Dr Emma Back

Project Leader - Euphresco

Telephone Number
+44(0)131 244 6347

Research interests/Areas of expertise

Use of bacteriophage for control of bacterial diseases of potato
Stable positive control development for Plant virus diagnostics
Seed transmission of plant disease
Molecular diagnostics for honey bee health

Biography

2015-Present. I joined SASA as a post-doc research scientist working on EUPHRESCO research projects (VIRUS COLLECT and PHILIB II) along with providing molecular biology support for the honey bee health work carried out at SASA. I have since also become the project leader on an INNOVATE funded bacteriophage project.
2012-2014. Research Associate, University of Miami. Modelling human disease in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
2007-2011. PhD, Durham University. “Novel insecticides for the control of coleopteran pests”

Publications

Kenyon D, Back E, Sumner-Kalkun J, Highet F, Lethmayer C, Gottsberger R, Beniusis A, Pupeliene S. 2022. Role of weed hosts as pathogen reservoirs of insect vectored diseases (WEEDVECT). :11p..
Report of the Euphresco project 2017-C-257 'Role of weed hosts as pathogen reservoirs of insect vectored diseases (WEEDVECT)'
Monger WA, Goodfellow HA, Back EJ. 2020. First report of Arabis mosaic virus in potato (Solanum tuberosum), identified by nanopore sequencing. New Disease Reports. 41:29.
Sumner-Kalkun JC, Highet F, Arnsdorf YM, Back E, Carnegie M, Madden S, Carboni S, Billaud W, Lawrence Z, Kenyon D. 2020. ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’ distribution and diversity in Scotland and the characterisation of novel haplotypes from Craspedolepta spp. (Psyllidae: Aphalaridae). Scientific Reports. 10:16567.
Koenighofer M, Hung CY, McCauley JL, Dallman J, Back E, Mihalek I, Gripp KW, Sol-Church K, Rusconi P, Zhang Z et al.. 2016. Mutations in RIT1 cause Noonan syndrome – additional functional evidence and expanding the clinical phenotype. Clinical Genetics. 89(3):359–366.
Fitches EC, Bell HA, Powell ME, Back E, Sargiotti C, Weaver RJ, Gatehouse JA. 2010. Insecticidal activity of scorpion toxin (ButaIT) and snowdrop lectin (GNA) containing fusion proteins towards pest species of different orders. Pest Management Science. 66(1):74–83.
George D, Ferry N, Back EJ, Gatehouse AM. 2008. Characterisation of midgut digestive proteases from the maize stem borer Busseola fusca. Pest Management Science. 64(11):1151–1158.